The city council is now a about a year into using a private attorney's advice. The schools recently asked for $8.3 million for high school trailers and council agreed on $4.3 million.

A task force is meeting as a debate revolves around a consultant's report and how much money the school system deserves.

City leaders heard about school needs as a group meets privately to discuss the future of local education funding.

The situation was prompted by pointed letters between the city manager and school superintendent in April.

Roanoke could also consider raising its meals tax rate to help pay for a backlog of deferred maintenance, a financial advisor said.

Support from the purse-string-controlling Council would be key if the district is to alleviate overcrowding at high schools.

Roanoke’s two public high schools have at least 20 percent more students than they can handle currently, according to a recent report.

A Roanoke school district group recommends different policies around cell phone use for K-8 students and high school students.

Despite hiring a new company to operate buses, the district says more changes are needed to prevent hundreds of students from arriving late to class each day.

City Council said the change will allow for flexibility in spending taxpayer money, while school officials decried it as harmful.

Roanoke City Council members say the city has pressing needs that could benefit from more flexibility with any end-of-year surplus.

School board members Mark Cathey and Diane Casola are stepping off this June, while incumbent Michael Cherry II is seeking another term.

Hundreds of Roanoke school children still aren’t getting to class on time because of Durham School Services staff shortages, district says.

A driver for Durham said the school district’s routes “look perfect” on paper, but they don’t account for traffic, stop lights or other realities of the road.

Pleading teachers convinced commissioners to approve designs that city staff say do not adhere to Roanoke's master plan.